Heating and air conditioning unit



Dec. 17, 1940.

1;). H. POWERS HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1937 mi? QQOU WEMKWSPSQ .QSFRSQ 0k INVE TOR SfL JQWWS r Dangld ATTORN EYS Dec. 17, 1940. POWERS 2,225,181

' HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Fiied March 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE v 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to the art of constructing heating and air conditioning equipment and more particularly to a heating and air conditioning unit.

In my present equipment full-use has been made of modern methods of fabricating steel plate to the end that I have provided a unit that is complete within itself, which permits oi the most economical operation, yetby virtue of its 10 arrangement and construction, can be made at a very low price. It consists of, preferably, a welded steel furnace, air tight burner; humidifier, filters, draft control, blower, plenum chambers, and duct system, the combination of which gives 15 very high efficiency and economy. My system differs from like equipment inasmuch as the furnace itself consists of a large, vertical combustion chamber surrounded by a circular inner casing forming the primary warm air plenum chamber constructed in such a way as to induce impingement, upon the combustion chamber, of air entering the plenum chamber through the blower so that all the air is forced into direct contact with all the heated surfaces of the 25 combustion chamber.

I next provide a secondary combustion chamher or gas consumer, consisting 01' a cylindrical chamber made of welded steel with a coaxially disposed cylindrical chamber made of welded steel '30 with a coaxially disposed cylindrical tube passing directly through the same to which, in turn, inwardly directed, vertical steel fins are welded. This secondary combustion chamber is placed directly above the blower and surrounded with 35 an inner casing spaced around the secondary combustion chamber so that all air being drawn through it by the blower will impinge directly against the surfaces which are heated by the flue gases as they pass through the secondary 40 heating chamber to the chimney. This combination forms a secondary warm air plenum chamber. The blower-draws return air from the house through and around the secondary combustion chamber then forces the air through the primary 45 plenum chamber to the heating air ducts. This arrangement diflers from other furnaces observed as the secondary combustion chamber is placed directly in the cold air return to blower thereby forming a secondary warm air plenum 50 chamber. The cold air plenum chamber consists of automaticlouversor dampers placed in such a manner that the heat from secondary combustion chamber cannot heat the cold air entering cold air plenum chamber because the 55 dampers will be' so balanced as to close, when the blower shuts off, and toopen by suction of the blower when the blower starts. The filters may be of conventional dry filter type located between the damper and return air ducts. An automatic humidifier is inserted in the primary 5 warm air plenum. The blower is so arranged that it operates automatically on temperature changes of the furnace.

A feature of this heating plant is the use of a fuel burner having an automatic air control so as to shut off all airmovement through the normal draft passage, and a barometric draft control which automaticaly closes a tight damper in the smoke pipe when the burner shuts off, thereby sealing the heated air in the combustion chambers until all heat has been extracted by the blower, thus assuring high efficiency and low cost of operation.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a unitary structure for winter air conditioning that is so arranged and constructed that it provides a very eflicient heating unit.

An important object of my invention is to provide a-unit of the character described which because of its construction can be produced at a.

very low cost and consequently can beavailable to many of the smaller home owners.

Another object of my invention is to provide a unit which can for the most part be almost entiredly fabricated from metal plate without the use of expensive castings which are always subject to breakage under conditions of repeated heating and cooling.

Another important object is the provision of a complete heating unit that is so securely weldthe fuel burner stops functioning, to the end that no heat will be lost up through the smoke stack, but will be all converted into effective heating for the air being circulated.

Another important object is the provision of dead air space surrounding the combustion chambers and plenum chambers so that the generated heat is not dissipated through the outer shell.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein v Figure l is an elevation, in section, taken v longitudinally through my unit.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the combustion fan of a fuel burner forming an essential part of my equipment.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, in plan, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, with the top removed, to better illustrate the arrangement of I parts within my unit.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, 6

designates the fire box of my furnace proper. This I normally form of reasonably heavy sheet metal, it being customary to use metal threesixteenths to one-quarter of an inch in thickness for the ordinary residence unit. This is provided with the usual fire door land is lined in its lower portion as by the refractory material at IO. This lining is normally fire brick, or similar material, so that if necessary it can be replaced. For convenienceand strength the fire box proper is normally formed-in a circular shape. Coaxially disposed with the fire box I is the main or primary heating chamber i2. This is formed by a cylindrical structure of, preferably, welded steel plate, spaced reasonably close to the furnace proper so that air passing through chamber l2 must. of necessity, impinge upon the heated fire box 6. Chamber l2 communicates directly with the heating air ducts ll leading to the heating registers in the various rooms of the building, or home, following the principles of normal piped air heating. Where humidifying is desired, it is installed directly above the fire box, at the top of chamber H, as is indicated at it wherein a shallow pan is employed which is fed from a pressure water pipe I! which in turn is controlled by the float valve 20.

The outlet through which the heated gases of combustion from chamber 6 pass, is'pipe 22. This carriesthe gases into a secondary combustion chamber 24 which is formed as an annular passageway and has an outlet, in pipe 28 which carries the gases to the chimney. Attention is invited particularly to Figure 1, wherein the general relationship in size and placement between -the secondary chamber 24 and the fire box 6 proper is generally shown in a preferred arrangement. Pipe 22 is taken off near the top of chamber B and enters well up in chamber 24; The hot gases circulate around chamber 24, then descend to go out pipe 28. This is not, however,

a very tortuous path for these gasesf and as a of. these fins willbe determined by the of the unit, it being. desirable at all times to pass the air through relatively narrow passageways, with frequent changes in the directionofmove- 5 h a closed annulamins'ulati'ng Jacketsbetwcenisaid drum and easing, 891d CaSillgfifilsWblVlnkfinIau spaced from thadiolning furnacef 'wall;:to iform "part of an insulating jacket forathe furnace-,Esaid ment of the air, to insure that atsomefpoint in its travel it will come in intimate contactwith the heat transferring surfaces;

The entire secondary combustion chamber is coaxlally disposed within theplenum chamber" 32 providing an -annular passageway it" entirely around this secondary oombustionf'chainl'i'er so that the incoming cold air fronf the cold nir re isters, or outside source, passes ,either through, or around, this unit due to thesuctibnjcreated" by blower 36. This blower is of the large capacity, low pressure type driven by any suitable source' of power as electric motor 38. It creates a movement of air which draws air in through the cold air pipe 3! and passes it out 5 around the firebox through chamber l2 and out through pipes I 4. As a matter of convenience in servicing and for other inspection purposes, I provide the inspection door or plate In which provides access to the blower'and blower motor. A preferred type of oil burner of an automatic nature is shown at 42. This burner. should be of a type that will close its air intake passageway as soon as the burner itself shuts off. One convenient means of accomplishing this end is shown in Figure 2 wherein the blades 44 of the combustion fan assembly 46 are mounted on pivots as 41 and as soon as the power of the motor is shut off, coil springs 48 close these vanes, one on the other, so as to seal the air passageway. This, together with the automatic or balance type of damper, at 50 in the chimney pipe, insures the retaining of the heat within either the furnace firebox 8, itself, or within thesecondary combustion chamber 24 so thatthere will be no inrush of cold air to cool off the furnace and no opportunity for the heated air to be drawn up the chimney. As a result the blower, continuing to circulate the air through the sys,- tern, can take full advantage of all of the heat 30 stored within 'the unit. It will be understood, it is believed, that any type of mechanicalburner as for coal, or comminuted fuels, may be so arranged and used with my unit.

It is to further the economy in heating due 36 .to the sealing of the furnace and the secondary combustion chamber that I have provided the dead air plenum chambers 52 and 54, and a dead air chamber 55 between 'said chambers. These serve to insulate the heated surfaces 49 against undue radiation and make'it possible to economically operate the unit on the basis of intermittent service where the heat is built up within .the unit, then the oil burner shuts off, and the blower,-circulating the air through the 45 system, draws out all of the heat-*thatmight otherwise be dissipated and lost. Whenthe blower is shut off damper 51 in pipe 39 closes automatically .and prevents convectional circulation. Air filtering is accomplished bydnstalling a de- 50 sired number of filter units '5', preferabiy in the cold air return pipe-as illustrated in'Figure 1.

The foregoing description andaltheaecompanying drawings are believed-Ito clearly disclose a preferred embodiment: of my invention but it 55 'will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such 1 changes in: the invention may he made asare fairly withinlthescope and spirit of the followingtclaima r; :5. i

Havingthus.fully described my=inventiom1what 6o I claim as newand desiretoi secure by Letters "Patent is: r a

5 An air conditioningunitforiuse with'li furnace and 'its- Smoke ripe, said unit-compriging.; ing, an interior drum suppo t d; mm 1ma o5 through said annular dacketwand connected? irectly to the interiorfof'the abovewitsrveropen to .the chambers, a number of upright fins forming air channels within the pipe. a tan and a motor therefor in the. bottom portion of the outlet chamber, and said fan having a discharge duct passing through the jacket of the furnace and opening to a hot air chamber of the fur- 6 nace.

DONALD HESS POWERS. 

